• SDK & Driver

  • Latest ZWO ASCOM driver isn't supporting offset correctly

I'm using SGPro 4 which now allows changing the offset value on the fly on an event-by-event basis when using the ASCOM driver (this allows it to be reported in the FITS header too) thanks to the ASCOM 6.5 SP1 update. Meaning you don't have to go through the camera's ASCOM properties menu to change it there. However, with my 2600MM Pro the ZWO ASCOM driver is not reporting this information, so SGPro can't see the list of values available.

See this thread over at SGPro's forums: https://forum.sequencegeneratorpro.com/t/unable-to-set-offset-in-event-settings-via-ascom-asi-2600mm-pro/15593

Any chance of seeing this updated? Thanks!

    A working link to the thread in question is: Unable to set Offset in event settings via ASCOM (ASI 2600MM Pro)

    This report also applies to cameras ASI2600MC Pro and ASI6200MC Pro.

    Information that might help to identify and fix the potential bug: Changing the offset value from SGP worked with the ZWO ASCOM camera driver version 6.5.1.5, but it did not work any more in versions 6.5.1.7 or in the current version 6.5.1.8.

    Bernd

    I have the same problem with an ASI294MC-Pro and an ASI183MC-Pro, so it seems to be across the board with the ASCOM driver. Oddly enough, I'm sure I was able to adjust the offset in SGPro with a previous version of ZWO's ASCOM driver.

    This is the response of Jared from SGP when I was telling him I am not able to set the offset of my ASI 2600 MM in SGP. It looks like Offset is not enabled for that camera in the ASCOM Driver. You may need to contact ZWO about updating their driver to support Offset.
    So far this issue has been reported only on SGP. Other software through ASCOM like MDL or NINA do not have this issue. So "Offset is not enabled for that camera in the ASCOM Driver" is incorrect. Someone from SGP need to address themselves to this issue.

    Thank you for your response. However, it looks different:

    This is the software that I ran last night:
    Windows 10 Pro
    .NET Framework Version: 4.8
    ASCOM Platform version: 6.5.1.3174
    ZWO ASCOM camera driver 6.5.1.8
    SGP v4.0.0.680

    In SGP the offset value cannot be altered, neither in a sequence nor in the equipment profile. No FITS keyword OFFSET is written to the FITS header.

    In the SGP logfile, I found the following passage:

    [08/02/21 21:47:42.887][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Failed to fetch ASCOM camera offset list, checking min / max...
[08/02/21 21:47:42.893][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Failed to fetch ASCOM camera offsets from min / max.  Failed to get camera offset! : Property read ASCOM.ASICamera2_2.Camera OffsetMin is not implemented in this driver. (System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80020006): Unbekannter Name. (Ausnahme von HRESULT: 0x80020006 (DISP_E_UNKNOWNNAME))
   bei System.RuntimeType.InvokeDispMethod(String name, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Object target, Object[] args, Boolean[] byrefModifiers, Int32 culture, String[] namedParameters)
   bei System.RuntimeType.InvokeMember(String name, BindingFlags bindingFlags, Binder binder, Object target, Object[] providedArgs, ParameterModifier[] modifiers, CultureInfo culture, String[] namedParams)
   bei ASCOM.DriverAccess.MemberFactory.CallMember(Int32 memberCode, String memberName, Type[] parameterTypes, Object[] parms) in C:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\MemberFactory.cs:Zeile 242.)
   bei ASCOM.DriverAccess.MemberFactory.CallMember(Int32 memberCode, String memberName, Type[] parameterTypes, Object[] parms) in C:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\MemberFactory.cs:Zeile 264.
   bei ASCOM.DriverAccess.Camera.get_OffsetMin() in C:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\Camera.cs:Zeile 1748.
   bei ub.nt()
[08/02/21 21:47:42.893][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Camera does not implement ASCOM offset.

    Today I reverted to the ZWO ASCOM camera driver 6.5.1.5 (this is the version that is shown in the Windows control panel. When I change settings, the software identifies itself as "ASICamera Setup V6.5.17.1" though!). Other software is unchanged. Now in SGP the offset value can be altered both in a sequence and in the eqipment profile. The FITS keyword OFFSET is written to the FITS headers.

    In the SGP logfile the corresponding passage now reads:

    [08/03/21 11:46:00.578][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Failed to fetch ASCOM camera offset list, checking min / max...
[08/03/21 11:46:00.581][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] ASCOM Camera offsets list, min: 0; max: 50

    So definitely a request for the ASCOM camera offset list leads to an exception in case of ZWO ASI camera driver 6.5.1.8, whereas the request is responded in case of ZWO ASI camera driver 6.5.1.5.

    Other software being identical, the ZWO ASCOM camera driver behaves in a different manner.

    I do not know who is right or wrong. However, if you have a clue what went wrong (either in SGP or the driver), please contact Jared from SGP in order that this incompatibility can be fixed. Thank you!

    Bernd

      @bulrichl or @tech@zwo is there any place I can download 6.5.1.5 version of the ASCOM driver to test it out? Thanks!

      bulrichl
      Sorry, I have confirmed with our devs, they made some changes with the latest ASCOM, they will try to find a way to solve this.

        Thank you very much for discussing this with the developers. I'm looking forward for the fix.

        Bernd

          @tech@zwo#48688

          I would like to request ZWO to increase the 2600mm max gain setting from 100 to at least 200 on the "ASICamera Setup" software, ASCOM driver, as well as on the ASIAIR, so that it allows user to fully exploit the capacity of the sensor.

          In some circumstance, I need higher ADU-to-electron ratio (i.e. gain) for low light photography. As a professional CMOS scientific camera company, why limit the freedom of use by professional?

          I own both ASI2600mm and ASI533mc, and found that gain value range is less restrictive in ASI533mc.

          bulrichl
          The situation is some users report our recent ASCOM driver has compatibility issue with ASCOM platform on some old computer, so we have to downgrade to take care of this, which cause the "offset" issue which only SGP has(SGP only supports ICameraV3 API). Overall, if we change it back, users who have old computer will not be happy, so please use 6.5.1.5 for the moment until we come up with a good solution which makes everyone happy.

            Thank you for your reply. This (revert to and use version 6.5.1.5) is what I have done, and it is working well with SGP. I hope that in the long term a solution which works for all equipment can be found.

            As I am not a developer, I do not understand your remark: "SGP only supports ICameraV3 API". In reply #3 (= your first post in this thread), you mentioned "Other software through ASCOM like MDL or NINA do not have this issue.". What do other software differently?

            Bernd

              bulrichl
              Only SGP need ICameraV3 to enable offset which other software only need ICameraV2.

                @tech@zwo#48837 I tried installing the 6.5.1.5 driver you attached, but now there is no ASI camera showing in my camera chooser in SGP. I had to uninstall and reinstall the 6.5.1.8 driver to get it working again, but that still has issues. In addition to the offset problem, the gain on the pictures taken in frame and focus are always 0, even if you set it to be 100 in the ascom settings. It makes it incredibly difficult to determine timings for flats.

                  jcwillis4
                  Maybe it is due to the unclean uninstallation of 6.5.1.8. Others in this thread seems all succesfully downgrade to 6.5.1.5.

                    a month later

                    I noticed that new versions of the camera drivers (native: v3.1.7, and ASCOM: v6.5.1.9) have been released yesterday.

                    Do the new versions fix the issue with SGP (unable to set offset in event settings using the ASCOM camera driver)?

                    Bernd

                      13 days later

                      ASCOM Driver v6.5.1.9 does not show offset in SGP. I'm using ASI6200M. Hopefully ZWO and SGP can work together to find a solution.

                      Is there a way to download v6.5.1.5, I'm told this version works with SGP (reports camera offset), but I can't find any link to this version

                      • bos replied to this.